Dear SCG Community,
This month, I am thrilled to celebrate the launch of evolve, SCG's new suite of programming championing transformational leadership. evolve seeks to cultivate the personal and professional skills necessary to further individuals' growth, organizational culture, and interpersonal relationships. To kick off this exciting series of professional learning, I spoke with Judy Belk, President and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, to explore the skills, qualities, and motivations necessary to be an authentic leader in today's workforce.
In addition, I am eager to share two new conversations from our Back to the Future blog series, which explores key philanthropic issues with leaders from our sector. We start with "What is the Future of Work?," bringing together Tracie Neuhaus and Michele Prichard to discuss the trends most likely to impact our workforce and the role philanthropy can play in ensuring an equitable future. In the second piece, "The Future of Art Funding," Vijay Gupta and James E. Herr explore art as the lifeblood of social movements and highlight opportunities for funders looking to strengthen their partnerships with artists on the ground.
I hope you find these conversations to be as timely and insightful as I have. Everyday, I am driven by the work we are embarking on together and inspired by the future we help to build for our communities and sector.
Best Regards,
Christine Essel
President & CEO, Southern California Grantmakers
Judy Belk leads The California Wellness Foundation in its mission to improve the health of the people of California. In her role, she uses her vision and her voice to help Cal Wellness “level the playing field” so that everyone has access to good-paying jobs, safe neighborhoods, and quality health care services.
To celebrate the launch of evolve — a new suite of programming championing transformational leadership — I spoke with Judy to discuss her personal philosophy on leadership and the importance of being an authentic leader.
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In this installation of Back to the Future, we're thrilled to host a conversation between Tracie Neuhaus, Senior Manager of Monitor Institute by Deloitte, and Michele Prichard, Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Liberty Hill Foundation.
Tracie and Michele tackle the trends emerging from our changing workforce, the potential implications these shifts will have in exacerbating income inequality in our most vulnerable communities, and the role philanthropy can play in spearheading innovation for an equitable future.
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What is the role of art in social justice movements? What are the opportunities for artists and funders to strengthen their collaboration? To answer these questions, we invited James E. Herr, Program Officer at the Annenberg Foundation, and Vijay Gupta, Founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, a non-profit organization providing musical engagement for homeless and incarcerated communities in Los Angeles, to explore the vital role and potential of art in today's world.